New Ipswich Children's Fair
Written by the Last Survivor of its Founders at the Age of Ninety-one Years
Records and Reminiscences of Children’s Fair
“Seeking to make idle hours useful hours, I have written it in my old age Please accept my old RECORDS AND REMINISCENCES.” - C. H. Obear - July 8, 1911
Introduction
New Ipswich, the town of our love, and our pride, has made no mean record among the towns which make our own New England from 1740 or 1750 to the present time.
Her location as a colony from the "Bay State or Massachusetts Colony" was an unrivaled one.
Among the foot-hills, where the more level half of eastern Massachusetts begins to climb towards the White Mountains of the northern part of New Hampshire (not yet granted by the King of England to Mason and Gorges), the settlers from Ipswich, Concord, etc., coming up through Ashby, found the Souhegan and its tributary brooks, affording desirable water privileges, and for locating fertile farms and pleasant villages that would overlook beautiful scenery. These settlers were of the old Pilgrim stock; sturdy, conscientious, irreproachable; with high aims and lofty purposes.
They early established the "Church and the Schoolhouse." They freely gave themselves to the resistance of tyranny, with the neighboring colonies. They formed a Christian Church. They established a High School of learning. They took position as opponents of human slavery and slavery to the "Drink Habit."
It has been easier for their descendants to send the "Iowa Band" to help the New West become another New England; or teachers to the Southern slaves; or missionaries to the heathen-world; or soldiers to resist disunion and extension of slavery, when we were forced into the war of the rebellion, than for towns which had a different ancestry.
This is the reason that, with so decreased a population, there is still continuation of worthy institutions among us. This accounts for the ready response of our people to unite in the Annual Harvest Festival that seeks annually to send little streams out from our homes of plenty to less favored people and places, which carry to them help and blessing. ,,
Long may the "Children's Fair for Benevolent Purposes" continue to bless themselves and the world by its yearly contributions.
148th Children’s Fair - August 15, 2009
James Roger diary entry
13th July 1913
Warm and breezy; wind west to southwest. Mr. Lord preached from 121st Psalm "I to the hills will lift mine eyes, etc." No S. S. Wrote six letters. Evening service at 7 P.m; not many attended. I was not there. Mrs. Preston called in the evening about her flower vase.
Upcoming Event
163rd Children’s Fair - August 17, 2024
New Ipswich Congregational Church
150 Main Street, New Ipswich, NH
10 AM - 3 PM
The Children's Fair (a Harvest Fair in the old days held later in the summer or fall) was good example of 'local' charity to help the less fortunate, rather than having our $ go to Washington and hoping some of it comes back to the us. If you read old town reports, you'll find that the town had a budget for the poor and an 'Overseer of the Poor'. Willmore Ashley and Walter Thayer and others held that office. There was also a Poor Farm at one time. It was voluntary and one could ask for funds or work on the Poor farm, The Churches in addition also helped the poor. On occasion the Town Board would forgive the $2 poll tax for those that couldn't pay. I have not been a resident of New Ipswich for 57 years. I'm guessing the present Children's Fair is more a social event rather than a charitable event.